When starting therapy, it's very common to feel nervous. It can be scary to think of opening up or crying in front of someone new, perhaps fearing that it will be awkward and uncomfortable. The fear around that can feel overwhelming. Getting the counseling we need can be challenging. And although it's normal to be nervous, that doesn't make it feel great. It takes courage to continue towards getting the help you need.

Therapy is a space where you can be yourself and bring up whatever is going on for you, including feeling nervous. I’m committed to finding a way to care for your nervousness and ensure sessions are as comfortable as possible.

I’m here if you want to talk about it during a free phone consultation.

Take your time to read through my website. If you sense that I may be a good fit based on what you are reading, you can call me. During a free phone consultation, you can ask me more about my training and education, ask how I work as a therapist, or any other questions you may have that are specific-to-you. You’ll also be able to discuss what's on your mind and we can decide together how I can help.

If something feels overwhelming or even terrifying to discuss, that's actually very normal. It can often feel difficult to talk about some things. During our sessions, it will always be up to you if you feel ready to talk about something or not. We will collaborate on understanding what you feel ready to open up about. Together we will work through the difficult stuff.

You can also share with me that you are nervous to open up about something and we can talk about that too. Whatever is present for you. Whatever you are going through. Bring that to session and we can explore that together.

If you open up to me, I will not think you are I’m a bad person, I will think you are courageous and human. Many of my clients have had the same fear (that people would think they are I’m a bad person).  Working with my clients has shown me that the challenges your are facing are normal and natural.  You have nothing to be ashamed about. Nothing you can say will cause me to judge you. I know we all have our imperfections, we all struggle, we all suffer in different ways.

Whatever it is you're going through, I provide a safe space where you can feel heard and supported without judgement.

You might already know that you want to share sensitive information about your loved ones with me and you don't want them to find out what you've said. So I want you to know that unless there is an imminent danger to yourself or someone else, everything you share with me is completely confidential. Your privacy and trust are of utmost importance.

If you have specific questions about how confidentiality works, you can ask during your during a free phone consultation or anytime during our work together.

Overall, you can think of the first session as a structured assessment that helps me get to know you and the challenges that brought you into treatment. I’ll invite you to share more about yourself and we can also talk about what’s worked or not worked for your mental health in the past.

Some questions that I like to ask during a first session include:

• What brought you to therapy?
• Have you gone to therapy before? How did that go?
• What do I need to know about you to understand your current challenges?

You can ask me questions as well. You might be curious about about why I'm a therapist or how I've helped other clients like you.

The most important part of a first session is that you see if you feel I’m a good fit for you. If you feel safe, accepted, and comfortable with me, we can discuss if you’d like to meet again.

I'm here to talk during a free phone consultation where you can discuss what's on your mind and we can decide together how I can help.

Call me today to get your free phone consultation at 405-595-7217.